Method of setting and maintaining a tool in a set position for a period of time

BACKGROUND

Devices have been available for some time for setting a tool within a tubular such as in the downhole hydrocarbon and carbon sequestration industries. Likewise, there are devices for maintaining a tool in the set position. Though these devices work well for the purpose for which they were designed, the process for disengaging set tools and the devices that maintain the tools in the set position once the tools are no longer needed can be costly in both time and money. Disengagement of such devices from the respective tools can in some cases require running a shifting tool or a cutting tool to the device before it can be disengaged. In some cases, this might require an additional dedicated run in the hole with attendant delays and monetary costs. Those who practice in the art will therefore be receptive to methods that overcome the foregoing drawbacks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Disclosed herein is a method of setting and maintaining a tool in a set position for a period of time. The method includes causing a component of a device to move relative to another component of the device, interengaging one or more features of at least one of the components with the another component, creating a set condition of a tool engaged with the component and the another component with the causing and interengaging, and when removal of the tool is desired, dissolving at least the one or more features.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> depicts a cross sectional view of a portion of a setting device disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the FIGURES.

Referring to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> a portion of one embodiment of a setting device is illustrated at <b>20</b>. The portion of the setting device <b>20</b> includes at least a first component illustrated herein as a mandrel <b>14</b>, a second component illustrated herein as a housing <b>18</b> and a third component illustrated herein as a body lock ring <b>22</b>. All three of the components <b>14</b>, <b>18</b> and <b>22</b> include features <b>24</b>, <b>30</b>, <b>34</b> and <b>38</b> that are interengagable with one another to allow relative movement of at least the mandrel <b>14</b> relative to the housing <b>18</b> in a first direction while preventing movement in an opposing direction. In this embodiments the features <b>24</b>, <b>30</b>, <b>34</b> and <b>38</b> are teeth. Specifically, the body lock ring <b>22</b> has the teeth <b>24</b> that face radially outwardly and engage with the teeth <b>30</b> that face radially inwardly on the housing <b>18</b>. The body lock ring <b>22</b> also has the teeth <b>34</b> that face radially inwardly and engage with the teeth <b>38</b> that face radially outwardly on the mandrel <b>14</b>. The optional body lock ring <b>22</b> is C shaped due to a longitudinal opening (not visible in the FIGURE) that extends longitudinally through the body lock ring <b>22</b>. This allows the body lock ring <b>22</b> to flex which action changes a radial size of the body lock ring <b>22</b> to thereby allow the teeth <b>34</b> thereon to ratchet relative to the teeth <b>38</b> when the mandrel <b>14</b> is pushed longitudinally toward the housing <b>18</b>. This ratcheting engagement, while allowing longitudinal movement of the mandrel <b>14</b> towards the housing <b>18</b> prevents movement of the mandrel <b>14</b> in a longitudinal direction away from the housing <b>18</b> thereby discouraging unsetting of the device <b>20</b>.

In an embodiment, one or more portions of the mandrel <b>14</b>, the housing <b>18</b> and the body lock ring <b>22</b> are configured to dissolve in a set time period after being exposed to a target natural or created environment. The dissolution causes the teeth <b>24</b> of the body lock ring <b>22</b> to become disengaged with teeth <b>30</b> of the housing <b>18</b> or the teeth <b>34</b> of the body lock ring <b>22</b> to become disengaged with teeth <b>38</b> of the mandrel <b>22</b>, or both. In one embodiment, the whole of the teeth <b>24</b>, <b>30</b>, <b>34</b>, <b>38</b> are configured to dissolve while in other embodiments only portions of the mandrel <b>14</b>, the housing <b>18</b> and the body lock ring <b>22</b> are configured to dissolve. More specifically, in an embodiment only one or more sets of the teeth <b>24</b>, <b>30</b>, <b>34</b>, <b>38</b> may be configured to dissolve. Proportionally to the volume of dissolvable components, the ease of removal of the tool <b>42</b> will increase. Once the teeth <b>24</b>, <b>30</b>, <b>34</b>, <b>38</b> are disengaged, the mandrel <b>14</b> and the housing <b>18</b> can move longitudinally away from one another allowing them to separate. This of course removes longitudinal compression of a tool <b>42</b>, such as a packer illustrated in the FIGURE, consequently releasing the packer.

The foregoing device <b>20</b> allows an operator to set the tool <b>42</b> by longitudinally compressing the tool <b>42</b> between the mandrel <b>14</b> and the housing <b>18</b> and to maintain the tool <b>42</b> in the set position for a set period of time. The period of time may be established by the time required before dissolution of at least one of the mandrel <b>14</b>, the housing <b>18</b> and the body lock ring <b>22</b> sufficiently to disengage the teeth <b>24</b> or <b>34</b> from the teeth <b>30</b> or <b>38</b>.

The mandrel <b>14</b>, the housing <b>18</b> and the body lock ring <b>22</b> can be constructed of metals and metal alloys that are configured to dissolve upon exposure to certain environments including specific fluids, temperatures and pressures, for example. The fluids can include fluids anticipated to be encountered in a downhole environment such as, oil, water, brine and combinations of the foregoing or fluids that are applied to the environment having at least a purpose of dissolving the components. As such, for applications wherein the setting device <b>20</b> is employed in an earth formation borehole <b>44</b> such as during a hydrocarbon recovery or carbon dioxide sequestration operation, for example, the dissolution of the metals can be initiated by entry into the borehole <b>44</b>. Alternately, dissolution can be initiated after exposing the setting device <b>10</b> to a selected fluid that is pumped to the location of the setting device <b>20</b>. Fluids such as acids and bases that may not occur naturally in the borehole <b>44</b> can allow additional control over timing of dissolution since the dissolution would not begin until the selected fluid is introduced to the location of the setting device <b>20</b>.

In such borehole <b>44</b> applications, among other things the tool <b>42</b> may include seals <b>46</b>, slips <b>50</b> and cones <b>54</b> to allow the setting device <b>20</b> to establish and maintain sealing and anchoring of the tool <b>42</b> to a casing <b>58</b>, liner, or other structure within the borehole <b>44</b>, for example. In applications wherein the tool <b>42</b> is a fracing plug a seat <b>62</b> can be included on the housing <b>18</b> (or the mandrel <b>14</b>) for seating of a plug (not shown) such as a ball to allow pressure to build thereagainst to perform a treating operation such as a fracing or a formation chemical treating operation.

The material and/or the geometry of the mandrel <b>14</b>, housing <b>18</b> and the body lock ring <b>22</b> as well as the fluid to cause dissolution thereof can be selected to control a rate of dissolution. In so doing, the setting device <b>20</b> can be configured to maintain the tool <b>42</b> in the set configuration until after any operations that require the tool <b>42</b> be set are completed.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.